(Crux. Nirmala Carvalho).
MUMBAI, India – A Catholic cardinal says the Church will not take advantage of a new law in Indonesia allowing religious organizations to get permits to operate mines. President Joko Widodo – called Jokowi – signed the decree last week as a sign of appreciation for the role religious organizations played in the country’s struggle for independence from the Netherlands. A leading Indonesian environmental watchdog, Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM), said the government’s attempt to keep and control natural resources for the benefit of elites. “We saw this as a transaction between Jokowi and religious groups,” JATAM’s national coordinator Melky Nahar told AFP. “We read this as a gratitude from Jokowi to religious groups for supporting him during his two terms,” he said. Jokowi, speaking to reporters, said the requirements are very strict, “whether it’s given to cooperatives within religious organizations or perhaps business entities and others.” “So, it’s the business entity that is given, not the organization,” the president said.